Generally, ATMs (automatic teller machines) are electronic telecommunication devices which enable users to use financial services such as deposit or withdrawal of cash and checks using cards or bankbooks regardless of time and place without the need for a cashier or bank teller.
Recently, not only in banking facilities such as banks, but also in convenience stores, department stores and other public places, use of ATMs is increasing.
According to deposit and withdrawal availability, ATMs are classified into a withdrawal machine, a deposit machine and a deposit and withdrawal machine. Nowadays, ATMs are used in various ways, for example, not only for deposit and withdrawal of cash but also for deposit and withdrawal of checks, update of bankbooks, paying by giro, ticketing, etc.
In conventional ATMs, generally, an apparatus for receiving and dispensing of checks and an apparatus for receiving and dispensing of cash are separately provided. These apparatuses are separately installed in housings of the ATMs.
Cash can be deposited or withdrawn by means of the cash receiving and dispensing apparatus, and checks can be deposited or withdrawn by means of the check receiving and dispensing apparatus. As such, in the case where the cash receiving and dispensing apparatus and the check receiving and dispensing apparatus are separately provided, the size of the entirety of the ATMs is increased, and it is difficult to enhance efficiency in use of space.
Meanwhile, unlike cash, different kinds of characters are printed on checks with a special magnetic ink. A check deposit apparatus for processing checks uses a MICR (magnetic ink character reader) to read characters, such as serial number, printed on check before a check deposit process.
Typically, the size of checks is set to a fixed size. However, in some countries, the size of check may be different. Furthermore, for example, personal checks issued by individuals and business checks issued by companies may have different sizes. In this case, different kinds of checks along with cash cannot be deposited or withdrawn in a bundle form, thus inconveniencing users. Even if it is possible to input a bundle of cash and checks having different sizes into an ATM, because the input cash and checks are typically not in an aligned state, it is difficult for the ATM to recognize each sheet of cash and check.
Meanwhile, in the case where cash and bills (hereinafter, they will be used along with the term “bill”) are received or dispensed in a bundle form, a problem in which bills are not correctly separated from each other during a process of transferring all of the bills at once may be caused. Thereby, deposit or withdrawal of the bills may be delayed, or it may be impossible to deposit or withdraw the bills.
Therefore, a cash and check receiving apparatus, which enables cash and checks to be deposited in a bundle (bunch) form at the same time so that the entire size of the ATM can be reduced, and which can enhance the performance of separating bills from each other sheet-by-sheet, is required.